HM Plant Honda team manager Havier Beltran has insisted that Leon Haslam "is not a dangerous rider" ahead of the rescheduled British Superbike round at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Haslam has endured a difficult start to the season and was disqualified from the second Bank Holiday Monday race at Oulton Park after a clash with Rizla Suzuki rider Tom Sykes.

Sykes was dumped out after contact at the Hislop chicane and although Haslam continued and was classified in fifth place when the race was red-flagged, he was later excluded after the clerk of the course deemed him to be guilty of careless riding.

The 24-year-old was also involved in a crash with Sykes at Thruxton but Beltran defended his rider - who sits way back in eighth place in the standings.

He said: "With Leon's disqualification, all I can say is that HM Plant Honda will always work within the rules and regulations set down for the championship.

"It was a difficult weekend for us all, but we do not believe that Leon is a dangerous rider."

Haslam's team-mate Cal Crutchlow crashed out while leading the second race on Monday and is a doubt to appear at Brands with an ankle injury.

Beltran said: "Cal has had an MRI scan and the ankle is definitely not broken, so it is not as bad as first thought.

"He has done a lot of ligament damage to the outside of his ankle though.

"He will be visiting a specialist again and then a decision will be made on Thursday as to whether he is able to race at Brands Hatch this weekend."

The trauma in the HM Plant camp has allowed Shakey Byrne to open up a commanding 39-point lead at the top of the standings aboard his Airwaves Ducati - the squad Haslam vacated during the winter.

Byrne took his first double win since winning the championship in 2003 on Monday and is in prime position to regain the crown.

This weekend's meeting was hastily rearranged after heavy snowfall forced the original racing on April 6 to be cancelled.

More news from SportingLife.com